Scott Adams (the Dilbert guy) writes a really excellent blog that I follow religiously. This sentence doesn’t make sense, especially when you read a lot of his blog. Scott is rather sure that we are all moist robots living in an artificially constructed world, or possibly a very complicated computer program. It doesn’t matter, since this moist robot right here enjoys reading his stuff.
Recently he posted about an idea for a gym where all of the gym members participated in a MMO or multiplayer video game just by working out. The machines kept track of your efforts and these translated into points that made your team more competitive in the game. You could watch the game unfold in real time as you worked out on huge monitors, your team captains directing your real efforts so our team would beat others in the game. The harder you worked out, no matter what exercise you were doing, the better your team would do in the game. To say that this idea makes me excited is an understatement. I think I would be incredibly, scarily suited to this for many reasons:
- I’m a data nerd, the more detailed data the better. If it’s also about fitness, all the better. My running hobby (I wouldn’t call like 7 runs all summer a habit, but still) is largely driven by the fact that I can easily track it using my iPhone running app. If I wasn’t sure how far I was running, or how fast, or easily chart my progress, I wouldn’t give a crap. The game would have to let you keep track of your personal contribution as well as the whole. I would imagine a series of milestones, or badges, or something to keep you motivated. Maybe like Foursquare badges, something to keep you going and keep it fresh.
- I love video games, and games in general. I never have time to play, naturally (ask Wilson, I literally haven’t finished a game since Myst, I think it drives him nuts more than me), but I still love ‘em. This would let me get exercise and play games at the same time, and it would probably prove to be an incredibly addicting combination. Scott even mentions that folks might need to be monitored so they don’t get too wrapped up in the game and work out too hard or something. I honestly believe this.
So, with that in mind, I am requesting that some brilliant tech wizard take Scott’s idea and start a bunch of gyms around it. You would very likely need to partner with a large game development company or technology firm to make it a reality. I will join. I promise. You will probably be rich. Now, off you go.
